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Two terrorists, including a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, were killed after an hours-long standoff with security forces in Dailgam village in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, security forces launched cordon and search operations in the Brenti-Batpora area, acting on intelligence on the presence of terrorists in the area.

Police sources said after receiving specific information regarding presence of terrorists, including top LeT leader Bashir Lashkari in Dailgam, security forces laid a cordon in the wee hours. While the cordon was being laid, some terrorists believed to be hiding in a house opened fire on the security personnel, who also retaliated in kind.

On June 16, SHO Feroz Ahmed and five other policemen were killed on the outskirts of Anantnag district. Lashkari is believed to have been involved in the killing of the six policemen and was reportedly one of the ultras trapped in the security forces cordon on Saturday.

A counter-operation was immediately commenced to flush out the holed up terrorists. Police said the terrorists were using human shields at the encounter site. IGP Kashmir Munir Khan said 17 civilians have been rescued from the encounter site. The house the terrorists were hiding in was damaged in heavy blasts, and Lashkari and his fellow operative Azad Dada were killed. Both were local Kashmiri boys.

"The encounter is over. Two militants have been killed. Bashir Lashkari was involved in martyring of 6 policemen, I congratulate police and security forces for carrying out the encounter," Director General of Police S P Vaid said.

Two civilians - Tahira and Shadab Chopan - also lost their lives in the crossfiring. 44-year-old Tahira was rushed to the district hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries, officials said. Chopan, 21, was allegedly killed in security forces' action against protesters near the encounter site.{Very good} Four other persons were admitted to hospitals with firearm injuries sustained near the scene of the counter-operation.

^^ Is this entire region of Pulwama/Shopian/S.Kashmir districts etc completely lost to India?Every single act of the security forces there brings out hordes of folks to pelt stones with no fear of even the bullets. Real sad how such large number of folks seem to be completely lost to us just because of the Islam virus coming into them

I dont buy the story of just some mythical ringleaders causing poor,innocent jobless folks to throw stones who otherwise would be loyal citizens

1) Yes, it is Islam2) No, it isn't the crowd's own idea. ISI is coming up with these brainwaves3) After DeMo, stone pelters' earnings went down. It seems to have picked up again. Need another crackdown4) Social Media is helping create flash-mobs. Need mobile jamming equipment ore preferably across-the-board shutdown of FB, WhatsApp access - at least in troubled areas

ISLAMABAD: Annoyed at its non-interfering stand on Kashmir, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif plans to skip an upcoming United Nations (UN) event to "promote peace", reported The Express Tribune on Tuesday, citing sources in Sharif's office."This is necessary. They (the UN) keep talking about peace. But they do nothing to overcome the plight of Kashmiris and stop state-sponsored terrorism in the Valley," the sources told the Pakistani media outlet.

Modi is talking about closing the tap of funding of terror. But, from the articles, it seems that we have not closed our own funds tap in Kashmir. reading the above articles, it seems we are sponsoring the islamization of kashmir.

- Firstly the terrorist sympathizer PDP govt needs to be dismissed. they are doing tremendous harm by undermining police and filling govt jobs with terrorists.- dismiss all govt employees that are sympathizers. - stop funding adv to newspapers. - stop security to sympathizers

While the nation was grieving for Hindu pilgrims killed in terror attack in Kashmir, the Home Minister was celebrating ‘Kashmiriyat’. He was so much in love with this idea that he decided to blatantly distort a statement of a private citizen, which led other seasoned distortionists to hound her into deleting her Twitter account.Now less than 24 hours after Rajnath Singh celebrated the so-called ‘Kashmiriyat’, disturbing reports have emerged about inhuman behaviour some locals displayed after the Amarnath terror attack took place.According to a Dainik Bhaskar report, an injured pilgrim named Rajesh Naval recalled that there were a few shops near the site of the attack. As the injured women and elderly cried for help, rather than coming out and helping those in need, the shopkeepers simply decided to stand and laugh at them.Yes they were laughing at the pilgrims who were reeling in enormous pain, both mentally and physically.This report absolutely shocked people:

While most people where shocked, some decided to shoot the messenger.A person named Nikhil Wagle, who is apparently a journalist if his Twitter bio is to be believed, claimed that the newspaper was lying. In fact, he demanded legal action against Dainik Bhaskar, though he did not provide any reason why he thought the newspaper was wrong.While media reports can indeed turn out to be false, some reason has to be provided before making such judgments and demand. In absence of that, the motive to distrust anything (in this case, a victim’s testimony) that paints some Muslims as bad human beings, while propagating every unsubstantiated claim that paints Hindus as aggressors is to send Hindus on a guilt trip.

NEW DELHI/SRINAGAR: A search is on for a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative called Mohammad Abu Ismail, who is believed to have planned and led Monday's terror attack in which seven Amarnath pilgrims were killed in Jammu and Kashmir. The 26-year-old Pakistani national infiltrated into India about two years ago and has been operating in south Kashmir, sources said.

The investigation into Monday's attack on a bus carrying Amarnath pilgrims is still in an early stage. But the Jammu and Kashmir police say they have intercepts that prove the Lashkar's role. According to information put together by the security establishment, Abu Ismail led the attack along with three to five other terrorists, some of them locals.

The Jammu and Kashmir police have said they suspect the Amarnath attack, one of the worst in Kashmir in recent times, was a revenge attack after the police announced the arrest of Lashkar operative Sandeep Kumar Sharma in south Kashmir's Anantnag.

Sharma was arrested on Monday when he emerged from the house where terrorists had been hiding after the July 1 encounter in Anantnag which killed Bashir Lashkari.

There is no clarity how the bus carrying pilgrims was allowed to pass security check-posts on Monday after sunset when thousands of policemen head back to their camps for the night. Intelligence agencies had warned that terror groups such as the Lashkar could try and attack the annual pilgrimage made by thousands every year.

Pakistan is reportedly providing chemical weapons to Kashmiri separatist group Hizbul Mujahideen for carrying out terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, audio excerpts intercepted by Indian security agencies have revealed. The transcripts, accessed by CNN-News18, are irrefutable proof that Pakistan is aiding and abetting terror activities in the Valley. The terrorist outfits lost 90 members over the last few months and scoring chemical weapons is seen as a desperate attempt to hit back at the Indian armed forces.

The transcripts revealed Hizbul militants already have the chemical weapons in possession. Hizbul plans to use such weapons to startle Indian security forces."Peer Sahib [LeT chief Hafiz Muhammed Saeed] wants me, but my people want me back. Our next programme will be after Eid...We will plan our next move after Eid," the transcript says, CNN-News18 reported. "Inshallah, we are going to get lots of support from Pakistan...things are happening along the border. In days to come, Pakistan will step-up its anti-India game,' an operative of the Hizbul Mujahideen can be heard saying.

The operative goes on to say: "Till now we've used grenade launchers on the Indian army...killing just 3-4 and injuring a few. But now it's time to change our tactics. We will straightaway use chemical weapons...to kill as many as possible at the same time."Lieutenant General (Retired) GD Bakshi told the channel: "It seems they are looking for a big terror attack." BJP MP RK Singh also reacted to the report saying: "If this sort of escalation take place then that will lead to war. Handler of Hizbul Mujahideen need to think carefully. This will lead to massive outrage in India and world." IMO, they would have no hesitation to use this "outlawed weapon" and they would of course, deny it that they used it !

Reflecting that the Army supports Major Gogoi’s action, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had awarded COAS (Chief of Army Staff) commendation for sustained efforts in counter-insurgency operations to him during a recent visit to Jammu and Kashmir.

Speaking to media, the Officer Major Gogoi, himself came out in the open and explained how he saved so many lives without using a single bullet. “The crowd was not listening to us. At that moment of time, suddenly in my mind, the idea of tying him (Dar) up on to the vehicle came. As soon as I ordered boys to tie him up in the vehicle, stone pelting had stopped for a while and that was the fraction of the moment when I got a window to come out safely from that place. Immediately I asked all my boys to get inside the vehicle and we moved out from the area,” Gogoi had said.

“This thing, I did only to save the local people. Had I fired, there would have been more than 12 casualties, which I didn’t do. But with this idea, I have saved many people’s lives. There were 1200 stone pelters and those whom I went to rescue,” he added.

Dar had filed the case with the SHRC through Mohammad Ehsan Untoo, human rights activist and chairman of International Forum for Justice and Human Rights.

Saying that “such a treatment to human being can’t be accepted by any civilised society”, the State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) has directed the J-K government to pay rupees ten lakhs as compensation to Farooq Ahmad Dar, a civilian tied to the Bonnet of the vehicle by Army on April 9. The Commission thinks it appropriate to direct the state government to pay compensation of Rs 10 lakhs to the victim”.

"They can run but they can't hide", NSA Ajit Doval told Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh, while briefing about the actions taken following the terror attack on Amarnath Yatris.The NSA has provided a list of of terrorists who have been killed in the last few weeks. The number of terrorists killed is over 50 during the period.

Three Hizbul units have been identified as ‘overground workers’ and their geo-positions have been locked. Two handlers who provided ammo to the terrorists have also been identified.

The government is also in possession of a route map, that traces the path taken by the terrorists.

Thermal sensors-loaded drones which send high-resolution images are being used in the proactive operation to track the terrorists. The National Technical Research Organisation’s tech assistance is also being taken.

Tracking, tagging, locating, killing

Mini-radars are also being used in the jungles to pick up possible information on the terrorists. The operation is being held in a 50 km radius and more than 400 officers are involved in the hunt for the terrorists. It’s a joint operation involving the Army, Special Operations Group, CRPF and the BSF.

On Pakistani terrorist Ismail

According to intel inputs, Ismail has recruited more than 40 terrorists in south kashmir and 30 in North. He belongs to Mirpur in Pakistan and has a Rs. 10 lakh reward on his head.

Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat on Wednesday met NSA Ajit Doval gave a detailed report on the situation surrounding Amarnath Yatra. All tourists have to be treated as yatris and security measures need to be stepped up accordingly, it was decided in the meeting. Also, no tourist vehicles would be allowed at night and after a certain timings.

So nice to see the pros do the talking rather than out-of-their-depth mantrishris, since it is anyway the pros who do the walking of the talking. Only.

One recent tactic which we on BRF have been crying for aeons,now being adopted ,is the decision to destroy with extreme prejudice/firepower,houses,buildings,structures houses,where terrorists are hiding/operating from. The use of RPG munitions,attack helos,even ATGMs,in order to demolish and bury the jihadis in them,helps reduce the risk of casualties amongst our troops ,who on earlier ops may have suffered casualties in trying to extricate the jihadis ,and then capture or kill them. It may be the equiv of using a hammer to kill a fl,instead of a flyswatter,but who cares if it saves lives?

This will also one supposes make pro-Paki elements in the state ,who abuse their Indian citizenship,acting like traitors,hiding,housing,feeding and providing intel to these ungodly species,hat their habitats,establishments are in danger of being destroyed if such elements are found in them. if the IA/authorities have genuine evidence that the owners of these blgs. have been using them in anti-national acts,they should be destroyed or confiscated by the state just as drug dealers,smugglers have their properties seized by the govt. in foreign countries.In India,some of those responsible for the Bombat blasts,etc.,have had their properties confiscated by the state. This should be strictly enforced in J&K and even deportation from the state for long periods of incarceration in our equiv. of Camp Gitmo for these scumbags.

Buildings flying the Paki flag must also be targeted with firepower,destroying the flags and any damage to the blgs. par for the course!

HighlightsOver 100 terrorists killed till Tuesday this year, as compared to 150 in the whole of 201633 Lashkar-e-Taiba and 23 Hizbul-Mujahideen terrorists eliminated this year57 terrorists killed in joint operations, 43 killed while infiltrating from PakistanAbout 150 terrorists, including 40-50 who infiltrated from Pakistan, still present in south KashmirThere was no specific intelligence about Monday's attack on Amarnath pilgrims in Anantnag but primary analysis by agencies suggests that it could be the result of frustration among terrorists who are on the run due to the aggressive line of security forces.

According to official figures, Army, CRPF and Jammu & Kashmir Police are literally hunting down terrorists in the Valley with over 100 killed till Tuesday this year as compared to 150 in the whole of 2016. Officials said out of the 100 terrorists killed in major joint operations this year, 33 belonged to Lashkar-e-Taiba and 23 to Hizbul-Mujahideen.

Sources said some of the big names gunned down in the last months included LeT's district commander Basir Lashkari (who was listed among A++ category of wanted terrorists in the valley); another top commander of Pakistan-based outfit Abu Haris; outfit's divisional commander Abu Musaib; and Hizbul commanders Sabzar Ahmad Bhat, Aquib Ahmad Bhat, Abu Hamza and Gulzar Ahmad Lone.

According to a senior official who coordinates joint operations with army, CRPF and J&K police's SOG, most of the terrorists have been neutralised in Budgam, Kupwara, Kulgam, Baramulla, Anantnag, Bandipore and Pulwama. He said while 57 terrorists have been killed in joint operations, 43 were killed while infiltrating from Pakistan.

"Specific intelligence is being gathered on terrorists hidings in villages and they are being targeted as part of coordinated operations. For example, three terrorists - Javid Ahmed, Sheikh Dawood Ahmed and Aaquib Gul - were neutralised in Budgam on Tuesday night after security forces zeroed in on the house where they were holed up," said an official who didn't wish to be named.

The officials are, however, concerned about 150 terrorists, including 40-50 who infiltrated from Pakistan, who are still present in south Kashmir.

Monday's attack though didn't dampen the spirit of yatris. According to the data of Amarnath Shrine Board, a day after the attack, 10926 yatris travelled from Pahalgam and Baltal.

kvraghav wrote:There is news that the hizb terrorist who instigated mob in DSP lynching has been encountered. Thinking loud, why would terrorist instigate crowd? Looks like army is going after every trouble maker .

Having a gun in hand always is not needed. These fellows may live in open and do all this kind of mischief killings also. Good that GoI going after such people.

I hope there are many, many 'quiet kills' of every terrorshit, enabler, handler, recruiter, propagandust and infomer. Ones which will never make the news. But the message is received by everyone concerned. Or so one hopes.

Punjab Province dominated Deep State of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan shows its contempt for lives of Kashmiri’s suffering under the Islamic Republic’s cruel occupation of parts of the Indian Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.

After the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan refuses to provide a letter signed by Sartaj Aziz to support application for a medical visa to visit India for Osama Ali who is living in Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir, our Minister of External Affairs steps in and grants Osama Ali a medical visa waiving requirement of a letter from Sartaj Aziz as Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir is Indian territory.

First Indian Express on the refusal of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistanto provide a letter signed by Sartaj Aziz to support application for a medical visa to visit India for Osama Ali who is living in Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir:

Diagnosed with a tumour in the liver, a 24-year-old in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir wants to travel to New Delhi for treatment but is unable to make the journey because Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan Prime Minister’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs, will not write a letter to the Indian High Commission in Islamabad that the youth be granted a medical emergency visa. ………………………

Osama’s father Javed Naz Khan, a lawyer in Rawalakot and a worker of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), said he has no means to get his son treated in Europe or elsewhere. “It’s least expensive in India. I am the unfortunate father who is not able to provide treatment to his son,” he said over phone, breaking down as he narrated how his son was losing weight rapidly.

Khan said he had appealed to Aziz through PoK President Masood Khan. “But the Foreign Ministry said it was not the policy for Aziz Sahib to write the letter. The practice is for the Secretary in charge of the South Asia desk to write a letter, but we have learnt that the Indian High Commission has rejected some visas with these recommendations,” he said.

“I appeal to India to give a medical visa to my son without the letter,” Khan said.

Next article from NDTV on our Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj stepping in and granting Osama Ali a medical visa waiving requirement of a letter from Sartaj Aziz as Pakistan Occupied Jammu & Kashmir is Indian territory:

Tweet of our Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj, on the granting of a medical visa to Osama Ali sans recommendation letter of Government of Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s, Sartaj Aziz, given that Osama Ali was resident in India territory under Islamic Republic of Pakistan’s illegal occupation:

Kashmir's mosques have always been used for religio-political ends, and for separatism since 1989 when the militancy broke out. But the character of the mosque has changed dramatically in the last decade.

Hanafi/Barelvi Islam, the traditionally moderate school followed by the majority in Kashmir, is being replaced by the radical Ahl-e-Hadith, the local moniker for Saudi-imported Salafism or Wahhabism. Though many Hanafi clerics like Moulana Abdul Rashid Dawoodi are resisting their Wahhabi competitors, "the attendance in annual fairs of all major Sufi shrines has been decreasing," said Muzamil, a Sufi practitioner. Of the roughly six million Muslims in the Valley, the once-marginal Ahl-e-Hadith now has over a million followers, claimed its general secretary, Dr Abdul Latif.

Such religious intersections are not limited to fundamentalists. Last year, Sarjan Barkati, a self-proclaimed Sufi, earned epithets like 'Pied Piper of Kashmir' and 'Freedom Chacha' for mobilising people and glorifying the Hizbul commander Burhan Wani who had wanted to establish an Islamic Caliphate. These mutations from moderate to radical have been happening insidiously and manifested themselves in the mob that lynched deputy SP Ayub Pandith on Shab-e-Qadr.

( can add the names for brf dictionary)

Official sources said that there are over 7,500 mosques and seminaries in Kashmir, of which over 6,000 are Hanafi and around 200 are syncretic Sufi shrines. Ahl-e-Hadith, Deoband and Jamat put together have just over 1,000 mosques and charity based seminaries, of which Ahl-e-Hadith has the largest number. "Ahl-e-Hadith mosques are popular for their modern furnishing and facilities," said Shahnawaz, a Barelvi follower in Anantnag, adding that the organisation also funds several orphanages, clinics and medical diagnostic centres.

Sources said Ahl-e-Hadith mosques and seminaries have doubled in the last 27 years. FCRA annual reports show that top donors to India among the Salafist Islam practising states are the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Although it is not clear who the top donor and recipient in J&K is, the state has received between 10 and 100 crores as foreign funds each year in the last decade.

A lot of Salafist literature was being distributed for free in Kashmir through last 30 years, a Shia Kashmiri said. "There is a sizeable number of Kashmiri diaspora in the Middle East who send remittances, mostly through Hawala to fund not just this radical doctrine but terror too."

Religious scholars in Kashmir point out that Ahl-e-Hadith has four sub-schools—Jamait-ul-ahl-e-Hadith (puritan), Difai (ultra-puritan), Guraba (religio-political ultra-puritans like Masrat Alam), Sout-ul-Haq, represented by ISIS, where a nonconformist is 'wajib-ul-qatl' (eligible for murder). A scholar who didn't want to be named claimed the radical subsects are anywhere between 1 to 5 percent in Kashmir.

Ahl-e-Hadith played a role in the separatist movement as a part of the joint Hurriyat Conference until it was split in 2003. The organisation is known to share a relationship with Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen, which is closely associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba. The TuM is a part of the PoK-based United Jihad Council headed by Hizbul Mujahideen commander Syed Salahuddin, who in 2014, had declared support for al-Qaida's entry into Kashmir.

However, security officials believe that the influence of Wahhabi discourse through the Internet, social media and messaging platforms is far more dangerous than the mosques and literature. "Kashmir has around 2.8 million mobile internet users. Even if there is one Salafist preacher glorifying Burhan Wani or Zakir Musa and the clip is circulated over smartphones, it has a dangerous multiplying effect over a huge population," a senior police official said.

Mobile data usage, officials claim, is higher in Kashmir than other parts of the country because of lack of other sources of entertainment. Cinemas, bars and discotheques were shut in Kashmir in the early 1990s when militant groups issued diktats against all things "un-Islamic".

NEW DELHI: In what would vindicate India’s stand, the USA has replaced the term India-administered Kashmir with Jammu and Kashmir in its order designating Hizbul chief Syed Salahuddin as a global terrorist announced during PM Narendra Modi’s trip to Washington DC. This was informed in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday by MoS external affairs VK Singh in reply to a question on the subject. “On June 26, during the visit of the Prime Minister to the US, the Department of State designated Syed Salahuddin, leader of the militant group Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The media note issued by the State Department in this regard on that date had interalia stated “Under Salahuddin’’s tenure as senior HM leader, HM has claimed responsibility for several attacks, including the April 2014 explosives attack in India-administered Jammu and Kashmir, which injured 17 people,” the minister said.

He further pointed out, taking cognizance of this, the Ministry’s Spokesperson had issued a statement on June 29, 2017 reiterating the well-known position of India that the entire state of Jammu & Kashmir is an integral part of India. The matter was also taken up with the US, following which Media Note has been amended by the US State Department in which the reference to ‘’India-Administered Jammu and Kashmir’’ has been replaced by ‘the state of Jammu and Kashmir’. Diplomatic win for India !

The Jammu and Kashmir Police today busted a Lashkar-e-Taiba module and arrested a man who has been identified as Sandeep Sharma alias Adil. Sandeep’s alleged involvement in the activities of the terror group led to his arrest by the J&K police. According to an India.com report, he was part of the Lashkar-e-Taiba module that was involved in the killing of a SHO along with five other policemen. Here is all you want know about Sandeep Sharma alias Adil –

Sandeep Sharma is said to be the first non-local person to be a part of the Lashkar-e-Taiba group operating in Kashmir. Shakoor is the name of the person through whom Sandeep Sharma got in touch with Lashkar-e-Taiba. He was a close associate of Bashir Lashkari, who was killed on July 1. He stayed in the same house where Lashkari took shelter. The accused used the name Adil in Kashmir where he was allegedly involved in the terror activities of Lashkar-e-Taiba. He helped other terrorists in the module to loot ATMs and carry out attacks on security forces.

Earlier in the day, news agency ANI shared a notification saying, “UP resident Sandeep Sharma, a part of Lashkar module has been apprehended by J&K Police.” IGP Munir Khan said, “Sandeep Sharma, son of Ram Sharma from UP was apprehended from Muzaffarnagar. Lashkar has become hub of criminals.” He added, “To the locals, he (Sandeep) used the name Adil. He lived with two identities.” Munir Khan while addressing the media after apprehending Sandeep Sharma also said, “that Lashkar was running criminal gangs involved in bank robberies and other criminal acts and has become hub for anti-social elements.” According to him, Sandeep was involved in many ‘immoral’ activities that took place in the area.

Srinagar: Sandeep Sharma, a.k.a Adil, who was arrested by Jammu and Kashmir Police last Sunday, joined terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba as he wanted to marry a Kashmiri girl "at any cost".

During an interrogation, the anti-terror squad sleuths of Uttar Pradesh police found out that Sandeep Sharma was actually 'stuck by a cupid' and was deeply in love with a Kashmiri girl.

As per Times of India, Sandeep got himself involved romantically with many Kashmiri girls and was reportedly 'desperate' to marry one of them.

To marry the girl, Sandeep had converted to Islam and named himself Adil, revealed Uttar Pradesh police.

As a pre-condition to marriage, Sandeep changed his religion to Islam and renamed himself Adil about a year ago. He shared the info during the interrogation by a team of UP ATS. IG Aseem Arun said that Sandeep's multiple filings led him to the path of terror.

As per Indian Express, Sandeep left his home town Muzaffarnagar and moved to Punjab six years ago in search of an employment while he was still a teenager. Having learnt the nuances of gas metal welding from his father before his death, Sandeep found work in Patiala.

During the winters, a large chunk of young men moves down to Himachal, Punjab and other parts of the country from Jammu and Kashmir.

"Sandeep came in contact with some Kashmiri youths in Patiala. The friendship deepened and he started frequenting the Valley in summers for odd jobs along with them," added IG Arun.

Sandeep started his criminal activities Kashmir with thefts and later joined a group for ATM heists. On June 16, when terrorists killed six policemen in Achabal area of Anantnag district, it was Sandeep who drove the motor vehicle ferrying the militants.

Sandeep Sharma was given arms training by Lashkar-e-Taiba. Having a driving licence in his original name, Sharma was used as a driver by terror operatives in the Valley to move weapons from one location to the other, stated the report quoting the interrogation report.

The Indian Army is carrying out an extensive drive against terrorists in Kashmir and now even involving Marine commandos (MARCOS) for clearing them out from the islands in the Jhelum river.

The Navy has deployed a team of 30 Marine commandos, under a Lieutenant Commander, permanently in the Wular Lake to prevent any terrorist activity there.

During a recent search and destroy operation in the Jhelum river, Army had also used the services of the MARCOS to flush out any terrorists who could be using that location for hiding from the forces.

In recent times, the Army has been going out in far-flung areas to trace terrorists who are already under pressure from security forces due to relentless counter-terrorist operations.

The team of MARCOS is working alongside 5 Rashtriya Rifles deployed in Kashmir's Watlab area near Wular lake. Army sources said the highlands in Jhelum have a certain type of plantation which can be used by the terrorists to hide them and their equipment.

The MARCOS have the capability to dive underwater and carry out extensive searches in these areas.